davidup_15's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
As usual, Jonathan Franzen shines in creating vivid, complex characters whose journeys are arresting and whose individual psychological worlds I became so absorbed in I would forget reality existed. The tense story beats are few and far between, but when they do come they are so absolutely shocking I would almost fall on the floor. As a pastor's kid myself I loved the exploration of religion, church, and their relationship to social justice too. If I were to criticise this book, I would say it's a lot less tight than Franzen's magnum opus The Corrections, and too similar to his follow-up Freedom, but I still really enjoyed this, and it firmly reinforced Franzen's status as one of my favourite authors ever.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Addiction, and Drug use
Moderate: Abortion and Self harm
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